The Story of Juneteenth

A history of the holiday

Historian and performer Dr. Daisy Century will present a history of Juneteenth to the present day.

Juneteenth is the federal holiday celebrating the emancipation of the enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865. But the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect two years earlier on January 1, 1863.  So, what took so long for the enslaved people to find out they were free? Dr. Daisy Century will tell us what happened in those two years. She'll tell us about the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Watch Night, Galveston, Opal Lee, and the Juneteenth flag, as well as present day celebrations throughout the United States, songs, poetry, and posters.

Dr. Century holds a BA in Biology at Claflin University, a Master’s in Science Education from South Carolina State University, and an Ed.D. from Temple University, also in Science Education. She has appeared in venues that include the National Defense Organization, Belmont Mansion, National Archives, Sojourner Truth House, Theodore Roosevelt National Historic Site, and numerous schools, libraries, museums and historic sites throughout the United States. Dr. Century is a published author (writing under the name Emily Nelson) and an accomplished singer.

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